It has long been recognized that weights used in performing weight lifting exercises can be dangerous if not maintained under control. Various weight racks have been devised for securing weights when not in use, but generally when exercise is performed with free weights, such as barbells or dumbbells, another individual, commonly known as a "spotter" must attend the lifter in order to assist the lifter should he lose control of the weights in order to avoid injury to the lifter or others nearby. However, this means that the lifter cannot safely exercise without someone present to serve as a spotter. Various devices have been designed to serve as spotting means during exercise, but these devices generally either provide insufficient control of the weights or unduly limit the range of motion of the weights during exercise. Examples of certain prior art devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,118,668; 3,948,513; 4,201,380; 4,205,838; 4,306,715; 4,360,198; 4,368,884; 4,420,154; 4,441,706; 4,540,171; 4,527,797; 4,564,194; 4,666,150; 4,757,993; and 4,781,374.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a weight lifting rack for supporting weights used in the performance of weight lifting exercises.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weight lifting rack for supporting weights which serves as a spotting means during the performance of lifting exercises.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a weight lifting rack which can be readily disassembled and assembled to facilitate storage and transport.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a weight lifting rack which is strong and durable, and is inexpensive to manufacture.